Delaware was the first state to ratify the U.S. Constitution in 1787, earning it the nickname “The First State.” Originally settled by the Dutch in 1638, it later came under English control and played a key role in early American trade and government.
The Lenni Lenape, also known as the Delaware people, originally lived in the Northeastern United States, including present-day New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York. They were known for their farming, clan-based society, and early treaties with European settlers, including a famous agreement with William Penn.
The Delaware Colony was originally settled by the Dutch and Swedes before coming under English control in the mid-1600s. It later became a separate colony from Pennsylvania and was known for its rich farmland, trade along the Delaware River, and religious tolerance.
The Mason-Dixon Line was established in the 1760s by surveyors Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon to settle a boundary dispute between Maryland and Pennsylvania. Over time, it became an important symbolic divider between the Northern and Southern states.
The American Revolutionary War (1775–1783) was a conflict between the thirteen American colonies and Great Britain, resulting in the colonies gaining independence. It began with growing tensions over British taxation and governance and ended with the Treaty of Paris, which recognized the United States as a sovereign nation.
The Border States—Delaware, Maryland, Kentucky, and Missouri—were crucial to the Civil War because they provided vital resources, strategic locations, and large populations with divided loyalties. Their decision to remain in the Union helped prevent the Confederacy from gaining a significant military and political advantage.
The American Civil War (1861–1865) was fought between the Northern states (Union) and the Southern states that seceded to form the Confederacy, primarily over the issues of slavery and states’ rights. It resulted in the preservation of the Union and the abolition of slavery, but at the cost of over 600,000 lives.
